Peter jaeeait



(No Model.)

SuspensoryfShelf forPresevrvi'ng `Bodies;after. Death.

Patented April 12,1881.

Ix if' N. PETERS. PHDTCFLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

PETER JARRAIT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO D. BETHUNE DUFFIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

SUSPENSORY SHELF FOR PRESERVING BODIES AFTER DEATH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,959, dated April 12, 1881.

Application tiled J' annary 31, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PETER JAERAIT, of Detroit, Wayne county, Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Cases for Preserving the Human Body and other Remains, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of this invention relates to certain new and valuable improvements in the preservation of remains after death, and par ticularlyin the construction of cases designed especially to preserve the human body after death, and to prevent decomposition.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of such a case, which, having been properly charged and prepared to receive the body or remains, will preserve the same for an indenite period, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Figure l is a vertical central longitudinal section of my improved case. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a: x in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A represents the upper half, and Bthe lower half or portion, of my case, made to t tightly at the meeting edges, and preferably having, as shown, the general forni of a coffin. The lower portion, B, is lined witha metallic lining, G, preferably of galvanized iron, and is provided with in- Wardly-projectin g brackets a.

D is an imperforate metallic suspensory shelf provided with the head-rest d and handles e. At the foot of the lower case is a drip` pipe, h.

An ice-receptacle, E, pendent from the top of the upper portion, A, of the case, is provided with` a discharge-pipe, i. This receptacle is .preferably of the shape, in crosssection, shown in Fig. 8, and the top of the part A is provided with an opening to afford access to such receptacle, said opening being closed at will by the cover F. All the joints of this case should be made as nearly air-tight as is practicable. 1n practice the upper half of the case and the metallic shelf are removed, and the lower portion of the case, B, is filled with ice and salt. The imperforate shelf D, upon which the body or remains has been laid, is then placed upon the ice, the impcrforate shelf D preventing the ice, or water resulting from the melting of the ice, from coming in contact with the corpse resting thereon, and the shelf being rapidly cooled by direct contact with the ice on which it rests, the upper half of the case put into position, when the receptacle E is also properly charged with ice and salt, care beingl taken that the drip-pipes are closed.

By removing the charge in the receptacle once every twenty-four hours the inclosed body or remains can be kept for many days without danger of decomposition, the action of the salt and ice upon the air within the case being such as to keep the body or remains cold, or, in extreme cases, rigidly freezing it. melts the shelf follows down until it rests upon the brackets a, thus preventing the water from coming in contact with the body or remains. The water which accumulates is drawn off as often as may be necessary.

I am aware that a corpse-preserver com posed of two parts, one fitting over the other and each provided with an ice-box, and having a platform provided with openings to receive the corpse, and an upper perforated lon gitudinal partition between the corpse and the upper receptacle, as shown in Letters Patent granted to J. J. Riechert, dated September 29, 1868, No. 82,552, has heretofore been employed, and I therefore lay no claim to such construction, which differs from my invention in several important particulars, among which the following may be enumerated Idispense with the lower ice-receptacle; my metallic shelf to receive the corpserests directly on the ice in the lower half of the case, whereby the metallic shelf and corpse are kept extremely cold my shelf is made imperforated or without openings, to prevent ice and water from coming in contact with the body, to cause its decomposition, and I leave a clear open space between the upper ice receptacle and the corpse, with no partition between them to interrupt the downward current of cold air from the upper ice-receptacle to the corpse.

What I claim as my invention is- The combination, with the lower half, B, of

As the ice the case, provided with brackets a and dripthe cold air can freely descend uninterrupted pipe h, of the metallic suspensory shelf D, from the upper ice-receptacle upon the corpse, without openings, and having handles e, and substantially as described.

the upper half, A, of the case, provided with PETER JARRAI'I, 5 the ice-receptacle E, having cover F and dis- Witnesses:

charge-pipe i, with a free open space between H. S. SPRAGUE,

the upper ice-receptacle and corpse7 whereby EDMOND SCULLY. 

